Twitter posts....

GMHikaru Hikaru Nakamura

Sometimes it is much more enjoyable to read Stieg Larsson and drink green tea than playing stress filled chess which destroys your nerves!

from Moscow, Moscow

13 hours ago

GMHikaru Hikaru Nakamura

One of the single most disappointing oversights in my whole career. However, I am going to destroy Grischuk like a baby in the blitz.

from Moscow, Moscow

14 Nov

For the context, see Chess can be a cruel game or, even better, the wrap-up report at Chess Life Online.

Chess can be a cruel game

You can play like a genius for 84 moves, and throw it all away in time pressure:

Grischuk-Nakamura, Tal Memorial 2010

(finished just a few minutes ago)

Black to play and win

There are two reasonable ways to threaten mate on g3: 84....Qe1 and 84...Qf3.  Both moves have problems: after 84...Qe1, White can try to set up a stalemate defense by allowing ...Qxg3 and running the king to h1.  After 84...Qf3, 85.Nxe5+ seems to force a draw: or does it?

Which move would you choose?

Amazing...

Nakamura (playing right now!) is on the cusp of tying for first in the Tal Memorial.  (Mamedyarov lost to Gelfand...)

Great live video stream here.

Nakamura may have missed a win against Kramnik today....

@GMHikaruHikaru Nakamura

Insane game against Kramnik today. Gotta love how we both didn't know what was going on and Rybka is like, "haha, you stupid idiots!"

7 hours ago via web Favorite Undo Retweet Reply

A cute trap...

...as highlighted by Yasser Seirawan in his wonderful online commentary at the Internet Chess Club.

Aronian-Kramnik

Tal Memorial, Round 1

White to play and win

Only one move wins: everything else appears to lose!

Tal Memorial round 2: Nakamura shares the lead

Today in the Tal Memorial, Hikaru Nakamura pulled off a cool combination:

Hikaru Nakamura - Pavel Eljanov

After 25...h6: White to play

The knight on g5 is under attack: where to put it?

26. Rxd5!

Nowhere!

26...Rxd5 27. Ne4! 

White is temporarily down an entire rook, but Eljanov has no way to take advantage.

27...Qc4 28. Qxc4 Nxc4 29. Nxd5 Re8?! 

The engines suggest 29... Rd8 as a better defense, but 30. Ne7+ (and not 30.Nf4? Re8 embarrassing the knight on e4) 30... Kf8 31. Nf5 Rd5 32. g4 h5 33. h3 leaves White with a pleasant pawn-up ending.

30. Nef6+ gxf6 31. Nxf6+ Kf8 32. Nxe8 Kxe8 

Nakamura puts Eljanov away quickly:  crisp clean style reminiscent of Fischer. 

33. Rb1 Nd6 34. e4 b6 35. e5 Nb7 36. Rb4 Nc5 37. Rh4 Kf8 38.Rxh6 Kg7 39. Rc6 Nxa4 40. e6 1-0

The full game score is available at The Week in Chess and the official site.

Tal Memorial: Nakamura draws Round 1

If you're at the office like me, you may enjoy following on chesspro.ru.  (Don't be put off by the Cyrillic!)

Today's big game: Aronian takes down Kramnik.  Wang Hao may have Shirov in trouble (game in progress: Shirov resigns).

Grischuk-Eljanov still in progress.

Karjakin wins an interesting ending against Gelfand.

Big test for Nakamura

....at the Tal Memorial!  Black against Mamedyarov is not an easy way to open a supertournament!

Previews at ChessVibes and Chess Life Online. 

The games begin at 7 a.m. Chicago time: I'll link to updates sometime tomorrow morning.